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Being forced to not be secretive isn’t cause for celebration: MacKay

Posted|January 20, 2017

Kensington –
Eight years of stonewalling by government on details of its secret, multimillion
dollar Internet and phone contract with Bell Aliant isn’t cause for celebration,
says Kensington-Malpeque MLA and Opposition Economic Development and Tourism
Critic Matthew MacKay.

“For
more than eight years Islanders have been trying to get details about
government’s phone and Internet deal with Bell Aliant involving millions of
taxpayer dollars only to be stonewalled at every turn. It took the threat of
subpoena by a Legislative Committee and an order from the Privacy Commissioner
so that Islander might finally learn more about this secret deal that we’re
still paying for,” says MacKay.

In
2009 government signed an untendered, multi-million dollar, multi-year contract
with Bell Aliant for government phone services and to extend high-speed Internet
across Prince Edward Island. Numerous attempts by Opposition MLA’s and the media
to obtain details of the secret contract were stymied by the government as it
twice secretly extended the contract without tender. Months of pressure at the
Standing Committee on Education and Economic Development by Opposition MLA’s
leading to partial release of a heavily redacted version of the contract and
culminating in a decision by the province’s Information and Privacy Commissioner
ordering the contract’s full release.

“The
bottom line here is that taxpayers have shelled out millions for a service that
many are not receiving and the public still have legitimate questions about why
eight years later. I’m not sure that’s cause for a congratulatory press release
from government,” says MacKay.

Ongoing challenges like high taxes and red tape were among the concerns Progressive Conservative Leader Rob Lantz and the Opposition Caucus heard about as their district tour of Island communities con see more

A district tour launched this week by the Progressive Conservative Caucus is focusing on identifying grassroots measures to strengthen local communities and grow the economy, says PC Leader Rob Lantz. see more